Jean Sparkman

Please place flower orders directly through a local florist.

https://www.geojcarroll.com/florists

Norma Jean Sparkman went home to be with her Lord on the afternoon of January 30, 2025 with family and friends gathered around her bedside worshipping together and singing hymns.

A funeral service will be held at Calvary Baptist Church in Gainesville, Texas on Wednesday, February 5, 2025 at 10:00 AM.  The committal service is scheduled for 3:00 PM later that afternoon at Post Oak Cemetery in Jack County.  Visitation will be held Tuesday evening at George J. Carroll & Son Funeral Home, Gainesville, from 5:00-7:00 PM.

Norma Jean was born on November 7, 1937 to Ernest and Faye Hinkson in Little Rock, Arkansas.  Her dad’s career with Rock Island Lines moved their family to San Antonio, Texas when she was young.  She accepted Jesus as her savior and was baptized at their family church.

As a railroad family, they sometimes rode the train to visit grandparents, creating a lifetime of train-riding memories.  During these early years, Jeanie developed a love for the outdoors and fondly recalled these days of tree-climbing, swimming, and adventures with her brothers.  Their family dog, Skipper, was a part of many adventures, and slept at the foot of her bed.  In her teen years, her family moved to Wichita Falls, Texas.  After graduating high school in Wichita Falls in 1955, Jeanie began her first job at Sheppard AFB.

Jeanie met George Sparkman at a local soda shop in Wichita Falls in 1954.  After a year and a half of getting to know each other, Jeanie married George, the love of her life, at Faith Baptist Church in Wichita Falls on July 29, 1955.  Jeanie was an excellent homemaker and mother.  They welcomed their first daughter, Robbie, in Wichita Falls.  During the next several years they moved to several small farming communities in Texas as their family grew.  Tina joined the family in Merkel.  Doug was born in Seymour.  Terri was welcomed in Lamesa.  Finally, Greg was born one Easter morning in Lockney.

Jeanie had a lifelong desire to learn, and instilled a love of learning in each of her children.  Each child has special memories with her of reading, studying, grammar, speaking Spanish, etc.  She learned to play the piano at church as a child and throughout her life continued to have a love of music which she passed on to her children, insisting that all of them have some musical training during their childhood, including, piano, guitar, band, and singing in church choirs. While raising their family, Jean was very involved in her children’s lives including youth/school trips, riding bikes, leading girl scouts, camping, skiing, coaching softball, concerts, recitals, livestock shows and sales, and even attempting to ride a unicycle.  As her children grew up and began to add grandchildren to the family, Jeanie and George moved to other towns in Texas and then across the country to Massachusetts and Illinois.  In 2003 they returned to Texas and retired in Gainesville.  As their grandchildren and great grandchildren were added, she was excited to welcome each one and celebrate many holidays, birthdays, and accomplishments.  She always loved and prayed for each child by name.

Jean treasured the friendships, many deep and meaningful, she made in the many towns where they lived.  An especially meaningful season was teaching a ladies’ Sunday School class and sharing Bible study, prayer, and fellowship.  She enjoyed working in her garden and watching birds in her yard.  She took pleasure in sharing her flowers with friends and family when they stopped by.

From a very early age she attended church and learned about Jesus from her Daddy and Mother.  When she was 8 years old, she came to understand what it meant to invite Jesus into her life.  She was baptized at Northside Baptist Church in San Antonio, and her deep faith and relationship with Jesus continued to her last breath.  She has a near perfect attendance at church over her 87 years, and instilled that longing in her children, too.  She and George have consistently been involved in churches wherever they have lived, including helping to start many of them.  She studied her Bible daily and modeled her faith for all her children and grandchildren.  She prayed faithfully for each member of her family and for each of her friends.  When she told someone she would pray, she brought each name and face to her Savior.  When she said that she prayed for you, she truly spoke to Jesus about YOU by name.  Until the day of her home-going, Jean sincerely wanted her family, friends, nurses, doctors, neighbors, and acquaintances to have a close relationship with Jesus, also, and never missed an opportunity to ask them.  Now she is worshipping Him in heaven.  “When we all get to heaven, what a day of rejoicing that will be!”

Jean was preceded in death by her parents, her brother Dr. Tom Hinkson, sisters-in-law Glenda Hinkson and Sandra Alexander, brothers-in-law Cecil Sparkman and Bob Sparkman.

Jean is survived by her husband of 69 years, George Sparkman, her brother Robert Hinkson, her children, Robbie Sparkman, Tina Presley (Henry), Doug Sparkman (Angela), Terri Johnson (Darrin), and Greg Sparkman (Kristi), her 12 grandchildren Tiffany Dossey (Lenard), Ashley Dittberner (Trey), Krysta Sparkman, Megan Presley-Wahlen (Michael), Danae Nelson (Clay), Dustin Sparkman (Brittnie), Erin Ghadiry (Amir), Allen Sparkman (Stephanie), Rachel Johnson, Sarah Johnson, Emily Sparkman, Amanda Sparkman, and 16 great-grandchildren.

Gifts and memorials may be made to Calvary Baptist Church of Gainesville or Abigail’s Arms in Gainesville, Texas or any charity of your choice.

Please place flower orders directly through a local florist.

https://www.geojcarroll.com/florists